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Mk IV General Service Respirator
|country = |period = 1926-early 1950s|issued = }} The Mark IV General Service Respirator was an Interwar and Second World War era gas mask issued to the British Armed Forces and to other armies in the Commonwealth. Overview Mk IV The Mark IV is made out of high quality rubber coated with a canvas stockinette. It sports two large glass three layered eye pieces held in place with metal rings. The valves and the speech diaphragm are placed in cast-aluminium house to which a fixed 23cm hose connects. It sports a Tissot tube system. The mask utilizes a very basic 6 point harness system with a small rubber patch in the center, it also includes a carrying strap. It came in 3 sizes: Small, Normal, and Large. Mk IVa This variant only differs on the lenght of the hose which is longer (79cm). It was issued to branches (Royal Navy, Royal Air Force and the Royal Artillery) where the haversack worn on the chest lowered the performance of the personnel. In those branches the bag was worn on the hip which required a longer hose. Mk IV Special T Mostly the same as the normal Mk IV but with depressions at the temples, which allowed it to be worn by soldiers who wore glasses or those with unusual head shapes. It came in Small and Large sizes. Mk IV Special T-Mic This variant was developed to use with radio equipment. A lump was placed on the left side of the facepiece where a radio microphone could be connected. It came in 4 sizes: Extra Small, Small, Large and Extra-Large. Image072.jpg|Mk IV Special T-Mic with Type E Mk VI filter. gbmk_520.ivlh.jpg|Mk IVa Special T-Mic with type E Mk V filter. Filters Type A The first filter for the Mk IV is very similar to the one on the Small Box Respirator. It was used mainly for training. The intake is on the bottom. image076.jpg image078.jpg Type D Masks Type D filter were used with Mk I haversack. The filter has 2 intake valves on top of the black painted filter. Design based on the American Model of 1919 (MI) Felt Canister for the Kops-Tissot-Monro and early MI Service Masks. GSR Mk.IV with Type D Canister.jpg|From the Collection of GasMasksUK image079.jpg Type E The Type E container was basically an brown-tan painted oval tin with an outlet tube at the top, with two inlet vents cut into one side close to the bottom of the container. Each inlet valve led directly into one diaphragm, containing two asbestos fibre pads in each one. The air then travelled through these and into a single diaphragm through a layer of charcoal granules and then through the last single diaphragm and finally to the breather tube. The container was attached to the breather tube with wire tied by a machine in the early stages. In 1938, the design was improved by replacing the wire with a clip that had a screw-fixed ring, which made replacement of the container easier in the field. On the base of the container was stamped the manufacturer, date of manufacture and also ‘No.4A’, which referred to the metal container style rather than the contents within it. Mkiv.jpg|Mask with Type E filter. image082.jpg|Technical drawing of the Type E filter. Type E Mk IV The Type E MK IV is basically a normal Type E but with manufacturing and marking changes. Image081.jpg|Bottom marking of a Type E IV filter. Type EA Extension Filter In late 1939 the British found out that the German filters provide better protection against arsine after an examination of a Polish captured mask. So before the British Expeditionary Forces were sent to France an additional smoke filter were applied by cutting the hose in two part and then mounting the filter between. It resulted in a rather strange look and some problems. image003.jpg|The mask with the Type EA extension and Type E IV filter is in the middle. image084.jpg|Closer look. Type E Mk V In early 1940 Mk V made the EA extension filter finally unnecessary as it contained the plus filtration built in against arsine. The filter is the same oval tin with an outlet tube at the top and inlet vents cut into one side close to the bottom of the container but it is painted grey. The Mk V, although replacing the EA extension filter in 1940, was produced as early as September 1939. image085.jpg Type E Mk VI Mostly identical to the Type E IV filter with the only change being the color (now it is brick red) and the inlet valve is a bit more resistant. It remained the main filter till the Mk II Light Anti-gas Respirator. image086.jpg Type F Experimental filter, only saw limited use. It is an oval tin box with multiple intake openings. Type F filters were produced only from 1936 to 1938. image088.jpg image087.jpg Bag Mk I Haversack It was originally the bag of the Small Box Respirator and it was obsolete when the Mk IV was issued but it saw limited use with it. Mk V Haversack The new Mk V Haversack was basically a slightly modified Mk I but it allowed to be worn in various positions and other anti-gas equipment could be placed in it as well. The carrying position stayed on the hip and the alert position was still on the upper chest (except the Royal Navy, Royal Air Force and the Royal Artillery because the longer hose of the Mk IVa allowed to be worn on the hip during use). It was made of waterproof canvas and there are 3 pockets in the bag. The two same sized are for the mas and the filter and the third (which is the new one because the Mk I had only 2 pockets) is for the personal anti-gas kit. Accessories Anti-Dimming Outfits The Mk III, Mk IV and Mk V Anti-Dimming Outfits came in small round tins whit unscrewable top and bottom, one side contained the cloth while the other the anti-dimming compound (Turkey Red Oil). The Mk VI was a flat round tin containing a cloth pre-soaked with anti-dimming compounds. This version was mostly used with the Respirator, Anti-Gas Light series but was also found in Mk V GSR carriers attached to the carrier by a piece of string. Anti-Gas Ointments Ointment for prevent or treat blister agent injuries on the skin. British General Service Respirators saw use of the No. 2 and 3 Ointments whereas the No. 5 was used when the Respiator, Anti-Gas Light became the Service Respirator for Britain. Anti-Gas Eyeshields Simple transparent plastic visor with rubberised canvas straps. It was meant to be worn all time alongside with gas detecting paper. Off course nobody wore it all time but the British army expected a First World War type war with common gas attacks. However the it was used in North African against the sand. One pack was issued to each man, one pack contains 3 clear and 3 tinted eyeshields. There were 3 variants. The Mk I, Mk II and Mk III. The difference is minor. The Mk I came in a basic brown cardboard packet with the designation of the device printed on. The Mk II packet was changed to include basic decontamination instructions and was printed left to right on the front. The Mk III was printed in the vertical orientation. Anti-Gas Cape and Boots The Anti-Gas Cape and Boots were issued to the soldiers to protect themselves from blister agents. The Cape was worn on the back rolled up and could be easily equipped if needed. This is was changed later during the war as most of the soldiers did not wear it because the chance of a chemical war dropped. 17951498_659870250863115_4928990320a459731673_n.jpg|Soldier Mk IVa GSR with the additional Type EA filter, Anti-Gas Cape and Boots. External information History Service Media In Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope in the Cantina the Morseerian wore a Mk IV Special T-Mic. Mk IV GSR Moorseerian.png|A Morseerian called Nabrun Leids. Clones Vz-35 Main article: Vz-35 The Czechoslovak Vz-35, the major difference is that the Czech exhale valve cover is somewhat easier to remove, due to the fact it has grooves in it for improved grip and it has a 42mm thread instead of the fixed hose and filter. Le Gallus Main article: Le Gallus The French Le Gallus has a major difference, wich is the lack of a stockinete, its tan colour and the leather stripes instead of cloth. M52 Main article: M52 Yugoslav M52 the main difference being, again, the lack of a stockinette and its navy blue color, the exhale valve cover was also very different. Vit-Air Main article: Vit-Air Licensed clone of the Mk IV, made by J.E. Baxter. Generally sold to private civilians and ARP wardens who wanted more protection than what official government issue masks could afford. 'Antipoys' Siebe-Gorman used the Mk IV as the facepiece for their 'Antipoys' kit. Instead of a filter, the Antipoys mask had a metal adapter for use with the rest of the kit. Gallery References * The info in this article highly based on this: https://erenow.net/ww/british-military-respirators-anti-gas-equipment-two-world-wars/5.php Category:Article stubs Category:Military Gas Masks Category:Interwar Era Mask Category:World War II Era Mask Category:Full Face Masks Category:United Kingdom Category:Australia Category:Canada